Young people

More than 150,000 people under the age of 25 ask for help with homelessness in the UK every year. It is estimated that 7,000 of them are in Wales.

Many people think that the job of a homelessness charity will be to provide safe accommodation; a safe place to stay. But it is very clear to us that for most people who are facing homelessness, their problems are far more complex than a lack of permanent shelter.

Homeless young people have different needs and different issues to adults. They're often homeless because it's not safe for them to stay at home or family life has become too hard.

Youth Homelessness is often hidden. Rather than sleeping on the streets, young people are often sleeping on sofas, on floors or with strangers. They're often left with no choice but to make impulsive and potentially dangerous decisions about where to sleep each night.

Homelessness can lead to long-lasting life-changing issues

Being homeless affects every part of your life. Sleeping outside or juggling an ever-changing network of sofas and floors is challenging and exhausting. Mental health issues can be easily exacerbated. Dealing with all of this while you're still young, trying to study and get qualifications or trying to hold down a job, is more than most of us could handle.

We believe that it is crucial that we intervene early to support young homeless people. Without support and opportunities, the homeless young people of today are very likely to become the homeless people of tomorrow.

Youth homelessness is a complex issue with a range of causes, but with your support we can end youth homelessness in Wales.

Since 1986, we've supported over 67,000 people to leave homelessness behind. We need your support to make sure we can end youth homelessness in Wales.

Related

Many homeless women have experienced significant trauma in their lives which has often led to complex needs and issues. Supporting women who are homeless means so much more than simply putting a roof over their heads.